Father Francois Laisney

A note of thanks to...

Priest, Friend and Former District Superior

"It is a very great thing to be under obedience, to live under a superior and not to be at our own disposal. It is much more secure to be in a state of subjection than in authority" (Imitation). The road of a superior, one who must command, is a lonely road indeed. Such is the way of the cross.

"You will learn more in the District in one year than a pastor will learn in ten," said Father Aulagnier, District Superior of France, to the twenty-six-year-old Father François Laisney upon his appointment as District Superior to the United States in May 1984.

Traditional Catholics in America had already been deceived, not a few times, by the Novus Ordo and then, sad to say, even by some "traditional priests." Turning to Tradition, they had hoped and longed for that stability, truth, reverence and peace they had once known. Unfortunately, like the beginnings of the Redemptorists, the Society of St. Pius X was not only suffering from exterior persecutions but also from interior ones. Hence, the faithful, on account of "the Nine," and other events, were not only discouraged but lacked trust, as could be expected.

An open bull fight in a china shop might be the best way to describe the situation in the United States when the young Superior took his post—except that the bulls were fighting one another instead of those who were undermining the Faith. It is a fact that traditional Catholics have, by nature, strong wills—the will of a bull—otherwise they would not be where they are today, not excluding the will of God.

Upon Father Laisney's arrival in America in May of 1984, it did not take him long to realize that the Matador had walked out of the china shop and left the bulls to themselves... some of us may recall the reaction when some of the bulls saw the young Superior walk in the door. It cannot be said that he was well received... "He is too young." "We cannot understand him." "He's not even an American..."

It was not long after that the bulls realized that their new Superior was truly superior—in intelligence, in humility, in courage, in prudence and in charity! Some of the bulls still tried to get the upper hand but "Prudent men do not easily give credit to every report because they know man's weakness, which is very prone to evil and very subject to fail in words" (Imitation). Hence, before long (but after a few had let off some steam), a majority of those strong wills began to follow the meekness of their new Superior. One had to be blind not to see his zeal for the Faith, his innocence of youth and his true love of souls. He would tell them often: "Our Lord came not to judge nor to condemn but to save."

Visiting his priests, coordinators and chapels was his first priority as pastor of souls. This personal contact with the priests and the faithful was a great consolation. These visits did, in fact, restore trust in the hearts of the shorn lambs.

In order to unite, sanctify and preserve his priests, Father Laisney, in his six years as District Superior, closed several priories which, understandably, was not well received by the faithful. Neither did he open any new priories except in St. Louis—all in order that his priests have community life. Our Lord sent them out two by two. Out of necessity, the Sisters of the Society and the Carmelites were given a priest as chaplain. This community life of the priest has not only helped the priests in their spiritual life but has also protected them from dissipation, temptation and the vice of the world.

Without any prior knowledge of accounting or computers, Father Laisney mastered the principles of both, enabling him to advance the District and The Angelus Press into the twenty-first century. This feat in itself saved the District, The Angelus Press (and, ultimately, the faithful), hundreds of thousands of dollars. The administration of the District of the United States, the second largest in the Society (and the largest geographically) is a tremendous task. Tireless, endless nights of work are required.

Father Laisney considered America his home. Once, after a brief trip to Ecône for the ordinations, he said, "It is good to be back home." At another time, he told some of The Angelus staff that he was kind of relieved that he was not being sent back to France, explaining that his French accent has suffered... he now pronounces his name the way we do in America! Yes, he truly considered America his home for this is where God wanted him. Those who were close to him knew this to be true.

In his last letter to priests, Father Laisney spoke the words of St. Joan of Arc: "I want to ask forgiveness especially of those I may have offended, and be sure that I forgive any offense."

In obedience to God's holy will, as directed by his Superior, Father Laisney departs from the United States to take up his new assignment in Australia. His homeland being France, he follows the path of Our Lord by humble obedience, knowing that his true home is not France, Australia or America, but rather his heavenly home.

Speaking of Father Laisney, Father Franz Schmidberger, Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, stated that "the faithful [of the United States] must be thankful to him forever" for all the good he has done.

Let us give thanks to God for granting us good priests to lead us to Heaven. We bid Father François Laisney farewell, and ask God's blessings upon him. Let us remember him in our prayers. We ask him to intercede, by prayer, on our behalf.